1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus which applies grout material between floor tiles and removes excess grout left on the surface of the tiles after application of the grout, and the method for using same. More particularly, the invention is directed to a floor grout installation apparatus and method for using the apparatus to apply grout into spaces between floor tiles at a speed that is much faster than can be accomplished by manual methods used in the art, with the apparatus also removing any excess grout left on the surface of the tiles after upstream application thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Tiles are typically held in place by cement, also known as mud, or other suitable adhesives, such as epoxy, mastic, and the like. Grout is a non-adhesive material that is applied between tiles to fill voids between adjacent tiles. Grout typically comprises a mixture of water, cement, sand, and may further include a color tint, and/or fine gravel. It is applied as a thick liquid and hardens over time, much like mortar. Grout is not flexible, and cannot expand and contract with changing temperatures.
To allow sufficient curing time for the adhesive, grout is usually applied at least fourteen to sixteen hours after the tiles have been set.
Excess grout must be removed as soon as application thereof is completed, as it is very difficult to remove excess grout from the surface of the tiles once it has cured. The most common procedure used to remove such excess grout from the surface of the tiles is to manually sponge off the excess material with a wet sponge; a procedure which is labor intensive and time consuming.
Other procedures and tools are known for use in removing excess grout from the surface of floor tiles. A common flat head screwdriver has also been used to scrape grout from tile surfaces. However, this method has drawbacks. Due to the small flat area provided at the tip of the conventional screwdriver, only a small amount of excess grout can be removed at a time.
Another tool in common use has a handle and stem resembling those of a screwdriver, but which terminates at its distal end with a metallic triangularly shaped scraper head. The terminal edge of the blade and corners of the triangle have utility in removing cement.
Another tool known as a grout/caulk packer is used in the manual process to form a concavity along the linear extent of the grout or caulk via a spherical member mounted at a distal end of a handle of the packer.
Another complex manual device used to remove excess grout comprises a wide blade adapted to remove excess grout and caulk, a four-armed cement remover and grout joint spacer, a spherical grout packer and a V-shaped grout and caulk profiler. These structures are adapted to be secured to a hollow handle of the device in varying combinations.
Another device includes a tile adhesive removal system having a handle provided with one or more removable tips. A properly-sized tip is selected for a particular channel width, and is removably attached to the handle. The tip removes any excess adhesive from the channel between tiles, and is then cleaned for use with the next tile. The removal system may include an orienting element, so that the tip is not inserted upside down.
Also, a brush for a rotary floor machine specially adapted to clean grout from tile surfaces has been proposed. The brush includes a disk having a plurality of bores arranged into a plurality of rings disposed about one face of the disk. Each ring defines an arcuate pattern of alternating first and second bores, with the first bores angled radially inwardly and the second bores angled radially outwardly. Tufts of bristles disposed within the first and second bores thus form areas of overlapping bristles.
Even though the above defined devices for applying grout to tiles or for cleaning grout from tile surfaces exist, a single labor and time saving floor grout installation and tile surface cleaning apparatus and method of use are still desired.